


Caleidoscope

by Menatiera



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-24
Updated: 2017-06-24
Packaged: 2018-11-18 09:27:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,191
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11288433
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Menatiera/pseuds/Menatiera
Summary: Collection of ficlets, one-shots, mostly available on tumblr too or inspired by some posts there.Pairings, summary, etc. in each chapter description.Every feedback (including criticism and encouraging) is welcome. English is still not my mother language, so grammar might be incorrect sometimes. (Many times, let's be real.)





	Caleidoscope

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _"Tony in real life is nothing like the man described in the file and Steve hates this fact because he judged Stark based on that stupid file before he actually meet him and it affected his behaviour."_

Steve just… he just doesn’t get it. It’s been two weeks since the battle of New York, and all of the Avengers (sans Thor, back in Asgard) are settled down in Tony’s mansion at Malibu. The owner is usually not spending his time with them - locking himself into the basement only with the company of Jarvis and occassionally Pepper -, but when he does, he is a delight.

He is kind and generous and funny and passionate and above all, he sucks up any kindness and attention more than a sponge does with water. Of course he has his mannerism, he is hiding behind his ego, but even Steve can see clearly what that is: the extension of the armor he wears.

He can relate to that. It’s similar to the way Steve wears the mantle of Captain America even when he’s out of the spandex suit. People want him to be the Cap so he acts like he’s the Cap, even when he feels unsecure and mundane and not heroic at all. _Especially_ when he feels like that.

So what on earth is this shit with the man’s SHIELD reputation?! Natasha’s file is accurate, Clint’s file is accurate, Bruce’s file is… well, that’s less accurate because that’s more about the Hulk than about the scientist, but other than that it didn’t have any lies in it, as far as Steve can tell.

And then there’s Tony’s file. Which is… like the opposite of the truth. Okay, the self-destructive tendencies could be true, the guy literally flew a nuke through some unearthly portal to open space, and beside that he regularly forgets to sleep or shower or take care of himself, but he isn’t harming himself actively, like Steve imagined before. Tony is not narcistic. Tony hasn’t got ‘compulsive behaviour’. Tony in real life is nothing like the man described in the file and Steve hates this fact because he judged Stark based on that stupid file before he actually meet him and it affected his behaviour.

If he would get a second chance, knowing what he knows now about Tony, he would do things differently. At least that’s what he thinks. There’s still that issue with his condition - Natasha calls it post-traumatic stress disorder with depression -, but the same Natasha wrote that file about Tony Stark, so Steve’s not sure he can rely on her judgement.

Steve holds his tongue for a while, until he can’t anymore, and one afternoon, without any warning, it bursts out furiously.

“Seriously, Natasha?!” Everyone in the room look surprised as Steve drops Tony’s file onto the table in front of the woman. “Why did you wrote this back then?”

Natasha meets his gaze calmly while picks up the folder to inspect it. Steve waits. After she’s done, she sits back. “What is your problem exactly, Rogers?”

“This!” He gestures vaguely towards the file. “Your analysis is shit. Nothing is true about that!”

Clint clears his throat, maybe offended by the tone, and Bruce takes a step back, like he’s wanting to avoid the scene if it ends up in a fight. He admitted he’s more confident with the Hulk after the battle, because the Big Guy seems to like the other team members, but he’s still not comfortable around any angry person. The four of them are alone at the moment, Rhodey is at work, Pepper is at Stark Industries and Tony is down in his workshop.

“Actually, most of it was true when based on that week I was watching him for this analysis - I have witnesses and records and all that”, Natasha states calmly. “Stark did an impression for sure.”

“But he’s not like this.” Steve hears his voice sounding desperate and he starts to massage his own temple. “You described him like an egomaniac, self-centered, ignorant millionaire-boy, and he’s the exact opposite of that!”

“Well, he clearly has an enormous ego”, Clint chirps in.

“Not without a reason, and yet that’s just his mask!”

“Steve’s got a point”, Bruce butts in quietly. “That’s Tony’s way to hide he cares too much.”

“Exactly!”, Steve gesticulates toward the scientist, glad for the backup. “You surely knew that, Natasha, your job is to read between the lines, right?”

“Honestly, Cap, you are way too idealistic for this century”, Natasha states with a sigh. She avoids his gaze for half a minute, thinking. “But yes, you are right. I clearly knew this report will be biased. I wrote it this way because Fury asked me to do so.”

The room became very, very quiet after the announcement. Clint doesn’t seem surprised, he just walks next to Natasha, showing himself as her backup. Bruce looks clueless, and Steve’s sure he’s not better either. “What? Why would he ask such thing?”

The spy duo exchanges looks, Clint shakes his head a little, Natasha shrugs, and after they have some kind of agreement without any words, they turn back to the Captain. 

“Because he has a soft spot for Stark.” Clint’s the one to answer. “He didn’t want him to be involved because… well, you must understand. He watched him growing up from afar. He tried to help him from time to time, removing obstacles from the shadows, taking care. He’s as close to a kid to Fury as anyone can be. And he didn’t want him to be on the frontline. As an Avenger, as an agent of SHIELD, he would have been there. And Fury wanted to prevent it.”

“So he asked you to write a report that makes him look like… a what? A dick?” Steve asks Natasha again, hoping to hear her voice too. She doesn’t disappoint him.

“Like a dick? No. Like a man who can’t compromise and can’t work well with others, yes.”

“Don’t bullshit us, Natasha.” It’s Bruce who calles her out. “Fury wouldn’t endanger the world for anyone’s personal wellbeing.” Secretly, Steve agrees, but Natasha seems so honest… well, she is a spy, he needs to remind himself.

“He didn’t endanger the world!”, Clint shouts with unexpected anger. “When Iron Man was needed, he didn’t hesitate to ask him for help. He would never. But with this precaution he prevented to force our lifestyle to him. Fury called the Avengers when Earth was in danger. He didn’t need Iron Man to pick off a cat from the tree or to assassinate another spy, or…”

“You know you stampled him for his whole life, right?” Steve interrupts, because he doesn’t need to hear more. He understands Clint’s (and Fury’s) reasons. He just… he’s not sure it was the right thing to do. There should have been a better solution, an other way without this harm.

“He hates SHIELD anyway”, Clint shrugs, clearly feeling some sort of discomfort.

“Tony doesn’t hate anyone”, Bruce says before Steve can do in a rougher way. The Captain only nods, and starts to walk away from the room.

“Where are you going, Steve?”, Natasha is the only one brave enough to ask.

“To the workshop, apologising Tony”, he answers over his shoulder. “I expect you will do the same later and will explain the case to him.”


End file.
